In Buddhism, tonsure is a part of the rite of pabbajja and also a part of becoming a Bhikkhu (monk) or Bhikkhuni (nun). This involves shaving the head and face.
The Khandhaka also provided that monastics must use a razor to remove hair and not cut hair with scissors unless he or she has a sore on her head. A monastic may not pluck out or dye gray hair. Hair may not be brushed or combed -- a good reason to keep it short -- or managed with any kind of oil.
Shaving the head is one of the rules the Buddha laid down for his monks and nuns. It is one of the key indicators of renunciation showing that a person has given up ordinary life and will live outside of social conventions.
Ridding of your hair serves as a symbol of renunciation of worldly ego and fashion. In Buddhism, shaving your head (and face) is part of Pabbajja. Pabbajja is when a person leaves their home and “goes forth” to live the life of a Buddhist renunciate among ordained monks.
A bhikkhunī (Pali: 𑀪𑀺𑀓𑁆𑀔𑀼𑀦𑀻) or bhikṣuṇī (Sanskrit: भिक्षुणी) is a fully ordained female monastic in Buddhism. Male monastics are called bhikkhus. Both bhikkhunis and bhikkhus live by the Vinaya, a set of rules.
4.00 am – The monks wake up and meditate for one hour, followed by one hour of chanting. 6.00 am – The monks walk barefoot around the neighbourhood while the local people make merit by offering them food. 8.00 am – Returning to the temple, the monks sit together to eat breakfast.
Bhante is a gender-neutral term, and may be used to address both monks and nuns. It is the vocative form of the word bhadanta, which confers recognition of greatness and respect. In English, the term is often translated as Venerable.
Related: Sex, Love, and Buddhism
In fact, the Buddha instituted the celibacy rule for monks and nuns—a fundamental practice for dissolving sensual passion—in direct response to a monk whose family persuaded him to sleep with his former wife.
Do nuns shave their body? Almost all of them would shave if they're showing off skin, but some are willing not to if they're not showing any part of their skin.
Women can be ordained as the equivalent of monks in China, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, mostly dominated by the Mahayana school of Buddhism. Female ordination is not available in the Tibetan tradition nor in Cambodia, Laos or Myanmar.
Why do monks remove eyebrows? In Buddhism, shaving the head and eyebrows signifies a renunciation of worldly desire. While Buddhist monks keep their head and sometimes their eyebrows shaved for life as a symbol of their priestly status, head shaving also takes place during Buddhist funerals.
By the 1100s the Church had forbidden monks and priests from growing beards, although the rule was not uniformly adhered to. Some clerics continued to grow beards, especially while fasting or travelling. In art of this period, monks are usually depicted without beards.
It might be asked why Buddhist monks do not marry, since there are no laws for or against marriage. The reason is obviously that to be of service to mankind, the monks have chosen a way of life, which includes celibacy.
According to the results of the questionnaire, 75% of monks and 31% of priests cleaned teeth once a day, and only 1.1% and 3.27% of the respondents used dental floss to clean the approximal teeth surface. The brushing teeth frequency was shown to have a significant impact on the values of GI and MPBI.
Monks at Pa-Auk prefer the red carbolic soap. Why? It has no smell, and monks are not allowed to use perfumed items themselves unless medical reasons require it. It is one of the oldest, simplest and most natural forms of soap around.
Monks, for example, are not allowed to get married nor have children. They leave their family forever and get a new family in the monastery.
Do nuns use sanitary pads? The nuns in remote nunneries still use cloth pieces,” Anim Namgyel Lhamo, an Assistant Programme Officer with Bhutan Nuns Foundation, said. However, menstrual hygiene may start with sanitary pads, but doesn't end with it.
Each night, these nuns allow themselves no more than three hours of sleep. Their calling is an extreme one: to stay inside the walls of their convent and spend their days and nights in prayer and silent contemplation.
Some nuns, especially those that live in colder climates, may wear regular clothing under their habits. Others may only wear a t-shirt and shorts. In hotter countries, nuns may even just wear underwear.
Between praying up to seven times a day and working a medieval monk got little sleep. They averaged approximately five hours sleep between evening prayers and the 2am church service, and then snatched another half an hour before being up at 4am for more prayer.
Monks are forbidden to divine either good fortune or future tragedy by observing heavenly omens, thereby deceiving both the tennō and the people. They are also forbidden to possess and study military tracts; to commit murder, rape, robbery or other crimes; and to feign enlightenment.
Part of the emphasis is on achieving spiritual ascent, but monastic silence also functions to avoid sin. Although speech is morally neutral per se, the Epistle of James (3:1–12) and writers of the monastic tradition see silence as the only effective means of neutralizing a tendency towards sins of the tongue.
In the Catholic tradition, there are many religious institutes of nuns and sisters (the female equivalent of male monks or friars), each with its own charism or special character.
The Shaolin Temple – An equal opportunity institution
In fact, of our participants over the past 4 years, over 40% have been women, and 25% have been over the age of 45.
Most people may believe that martial arts is only popular amongst men, but that couldn't be further from the truth! There are so many Shaolin Kung Fu schools that cater to women who are seeking to hone their Kung Fu skills!